Hi,
I've just bought my first Harley Davidson motorcycle, it is a XL 1200T Superlow Sportster, 2019.
My last bike was a BSA Spitfire but I sold that back in 1993, so it's been a while since I last had a bike.
I am now in the process of making my bike my own with a lot of Willie G parts as well as Vance and Hines exhausts.
It is about the exhausts that I need some advice as things haven't gone quite as I expected. The front lower exhausts was difficult to fit as it seemed it needed to be 2mm out of line. I have overcome this and it fits well on the bike. The second exhaust, when I fitted the spacer the metal surround pulled off the gasket material. I pushed it back in place and then fitted the exhaust. I securely tightened all the bolts and the clamps.
When I started the bike it sounded beautiful with the Harley roar.... Then I revved the engine and a spacer gasket flew out of the back onto my driveway. Dilemma, I do not know which exhaust has lost the spacer gasket. The noise sounded good but my concern is whether this will cause any damage the engine?
I am thinking that I need to take the exhausts off to establish which has lost the gasket and replace it. Common sense....
Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

I don't think you did it correctly if gaskets are flying out of your exhaust system.

Are you talking about the crossover connector gaskets? Or the gaskets at the heads? Did you have all the bolts and nuts attached, but loose so you could connect it all before tightening it down? Be gentle with the exhaust studs, tighten slowly, and carefully. I have an older Sportster with different exhaust set up, but it's hard to figure how gaskets fly off, there must be some connector loose? IDK. Good luck.

Pictures would be helpful. Have you contacted Vance and Hines about the mis-fitment?

John

 

Hi John,

I'm new to this site so please bear that in mind. I have fitted the Vance and Hines Slip-on's exhaust which does not require me to take off the complete exhaust system only the mufflers. Clearly I have done something wrong. I had trouble getting the new exhaust with the spacer gasket on to the existing downpipe. The gasket had was loose with the retaining ring and I must have then push the exhaust onto the pipe in such a way that it dislodged the spacer gasket r=from the retaining ring. I'm taking the exhaust apart to check but it's logically the only way it could have happened. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers,
Maurice

 

Can you post model and part number for V&H exhaust you have fitted please?

Your second comment suggests you have fitted slipon mufflers and not a complete exhaust.

 

Pics would help immensely. Are you talking about the crush gasket that goes in the head or the little gasket that goes in the crossover pipe?

If I remember correctly, the V&H crush gasket is different than the HD gasket, one has square edges and the other is beveled.

 

If fitting slipons only the headers on a 2019 are stepped down to 1.5" at the end and requires a gasket to be inserted in the muffler.

 

Hi All,

This has touched a nerve Sandy, I admit I am new to Harley Davidson's but I have built bikes from scratch, my last being a BSA 650 Spitfire which I fully restored, so I am not a complete idiot!

For clarity I have fitted Vance and Hines Slip-on exhausts that simply change the tone of the engine. It is not a full replacement but simply the muffler sections. The Sportster I have is 2019 which requires a gasket to be installed on the end of the new exhaust section as the pipework coming from the engine is smaller. It is one of these gaskets that flew out of the back of my exhausts. There is a retaining collar which was solid on one gaskets but a little loose on the other. I did not think that this would matter as the exhaust clamp, when tightened securely, would hold everything in place. What I think I have done is that when sliding the new exhaust onto the pipework from the engine I must have caught the gasket against the pipe and without knowing it has pulled away from the retaining ring, which was loose anyhow. This would then sit in the exhaust air way and when I revved the engine the gasket has simply dislodged itself completely and been ejected out of the exhaust. I am wondering whether or not this will affect the engines performance. I will get another gasket and fit it in place.

 

No one is questioning your skills, we're just trying to gather more information about your issue, so we can help. Your first post inferred you were installing an entire exhaust system, not just slip on mufflers. Now, your issue has narrowed to those slip on gaskets, not the headpipe gaskets or headpipes.

John

 

Have you fitted new muffler clamps HD 65900012?

They do stretch.

A leak in the exhaust will affect performance but that depends on how good the exhaust is in the first place; how critical to the tune the system is. It could well be a MOT failure if the tester can feel exhaust from the joint.

 

Hi Guys,

Thank you for your correspondence.
After taking the exhaust off I found the issue. Clearly, when I saw that the gasket was damaged, with the retaining ring coming apart from the gasket body, I should not have tried to install it. I bought a new gasket and fitted it, carefully ensuring that it slid over the exhaust pipe from the engine, and now all is well.
Regards,
Maurice